Low-income help

Better manage the electricity costs for your home or social housing property with help from the Home Assistance Program.

What is the Home Assistance Program?

Out-of-date household items can make electricity bills more expensive for your home or social housing property. The Save on Energy Home Assistance Program offers free energy-efficiency upgrades for tenants and social housing providers, as well as an in-home energy assessment to help uncover more ways to save.

How to get started

To sign up or learn more about the program, call 1-855-591-0877 or fill out a contact form to receive a call back from the program service provider within two business days.

What upgrades are available through the program?

ENERGY STAR®-certified LED light bulbs

Power bars with timers

High-efficiency showerheads (standard and handheld)

Aerators (kitchen and bathroom)

Drying racks

Energy-efficient refrigerator

Window air conditioner

Additional attic or basement insulation

Weatherstripping around doors and windows

Program Eligibility

To be eligible, you must be a resident of an eligible non-profit housing property, OR be an individual who owns, rents or leases their residence, is listed as the primary or secondary utility account holder, and meets one of the following criteria:

Has an annual household income for the previous year that does not exceed the program eligibility limits.

Learn more about the program

Finchview Villa residents are resting easier since new energy-efficient
light bulbs, a new ENERGY STAR® freezer and five ENERGY
STAR® refrigerators were installed in the non-profit apartment
complex for seniors near Ottawa.

By lowering energy costs, the residence is helping to make rent
more affordable for the seniors living there.

Program

Home Assistance Program

Benefits

$2,600 in annual energy savings

Lower energy costs for the residence

Peace of mind for seniors

Aventine Co-op Homes

An energy audit at Aventine Co-op Homes in Kitchener, Ontario,
an electrically-heated town home complex, identified a wave of
upgrades to help individual members save on their energy bills and
live more comfortably.

“The audit was a great catalyst,” said Paulette Clamp, Aventine’s
Administrator. “We realized that switching to energy-efficient
light bulbs was just one of many things we could do to help our
members. Since the audit, we’ve installed new heaters, as well as
patio and garage doors in most of the units to stop energy from
leaking out. We’ve also started circulating notices and flyers with
tips on saving energy.”

A free energy audit had a transformative effect on Aventine Co-op
Homes and its members. Small changes led to bigger ones and to a
whole new mindset about energy efficiency.

Program

Home Assistance Program

Benefits

Greater in-home comfort

Energy savings for co-op members

Incremental investments in energy upgrades

Energy efficiency awareness amongst members

YWCA Sudbury

When offered the opportunity to reduce operating costs at
the Sudbury YWCA’s 10-unit transitional housing unit, and its
emergency shelter for women and children, Executive Director
Marlene Gorman didn’t think twice. Through the Home Assistance
Program, she installed energy-efficient light bulbs and ENERGY
STAR® refrigerators.

The savings made enough of a difference that the not-for-profit
organization looked at other energy-saving measures to increase
residents’ comfort and sense of security.

Now, with the money it’s saving on energy, the YWCA Sudbury can
put more of its budget towards the day-to-day needs of women and
children in crisis.